Now that water has pretty much receded in the areas of south Punjab affected by the recent monsoon rains and flashfloods, displaced families have started returning to their places of origin or close to them to assess if they’re even inhabitable anymore. But all they see is a trail of destruction left behind by the devastating deluge – their houses washed away, farmlands and crops destroyed completely, no sign of the animals that helped provide them a livelihood.

Despite a couple of months since the floods passed and government promises of rebuilding, reconstruction and rehabilitation, there is a general consensus among the affected population that they have to fend for themselves – shelter, food, clean drinking water, medical facilities, they are on their own.

As per the Oct 16 data released by the Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority, the monsoon rains had killed 223 people across the province, including 80 children. The total affected population is 673,970, damaged crop area 706,797 acres and partially and fully damaged houses 67,981.

Talking about the situation in south Punjab’s border areas with Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, activist Sabahat Aruj told Dawn the locals had stored a month’s ration they received from groups and volunteers. The partially damaged houses were being gradually rebuilt, room by room with the help of activists, she said, adding the authorities were nowhere to be seen.

“Government teams only visited a few areas and surveyed just around 100 houses of those who have some influence. The completely damaged houses and those belonging to the handicapped weren’t even mentioned. Winter is already here so we don’t know when they’ll get help. Most people are still living with their relatives, on rent, in cattle pens or in tents. The government has made no effort to rebuild or rehabilitate,” she explained on the basis of her visits.

Aruj said barely any relief work was under way now as volunteers could only do so much and had to return to their studies or jobs. Consequently, many flood-affected families were still drinking contaminated floodwater, while some had stored clean water, but that would also end soon. In some cases, animals and humans are drinking the same water, she added.

After the floodwater receded, water-borne diseases had broken out in the affected areas. But like absence of other facilities, medical aid wasn’t available either. “Government hospitals aren’t adequately equipped on normal days also and people are referred to private facilities. A lot of people are suffering from skin and stomach ailments.”

She said the foremost need in these areas was shelter. “There are 30-foot deep craters in some areas where reconstruction isn’t possible. The locals seek state land where they can build their homes. Now it seems the country has forgotten the flood affectees,” Aruj lamented.

Activist Wardah Noor is working in the Chak Sahuwala village of Layyah where she says after the water receded, the people who depended on daily wages returned to work to provide food to their families, but the farmers faced losses in billions and are now selling their land to survive. She also maintained the government has been absent throughout.

“Only those registered with the BISP have been given come cash aid but that is also limited. The families who were shifted to schools during floods have been removed after schools reopened, so they don’t have anywhere to go now. The main issue is shelter. Rebuilding is slow to the extent of a room or a wall due to meagre resources being arranged by a few activists.”

Taunsa-based local journalist Umar Rind complains the local MNA and MPAs only gave promises to their constituents, and seeks urgent help to build shelter. At least 50 per cent of the flood affectees in Taunsa are shelterless and 70pc who relied on farming have lost their lands.

“Only recently a survey was completed, but 60 per cent of the families that lost their houses were aided by various NGOs to build at least a room each so they have some roof over them for the winter. MPAs Khwaja Dawood and Usman Buzdar also didn’t make any efforts to provide relief in their constituencies. Jamaat-i-Islami chief Sirajul haq, PML-N’s Maryam Nawaz and Ata Tarar also visited Taunsa, so did Imran Khan and Parvez Elahi but their visit was confined to a room only. People neither have homes, animals or lands. These areas were declared calamity-hit but the utility bills haven’t been waived off or link roads connecting Taunsa to far-off places rebuilt yet. There’s no clean drinking water, the education system has completely collapsed and diseases like malaria and diarrhoea are rampant here,” Rind painted a distressing picture.

Narrating the ordeal of his hometown Rojhan, Faizan Mazari says any help that the people were to get has come, now they’re all on their own, surviving on loans, savings, and remaining belongings. The damage surveys the government was apparently conducting are also eyewash, he claims, adding officials have prepared reports based on the information provided by tehsil and district administrations, not actual field visits.

“It also depends on who can afford to do what. Some families have moved from roadsides to their original areas and are just managing daily lives somehow. There’s no organised relief effort anymore. Those relying on cattle are getting past through a handful of animals they have bought anew. However, water is available from plants installed nearby.”

About the breakout of diseases, he says the area already lacked proper medical facilities and the government hospital only provided basic healthcare; for major issues people were referred to bigger cities, a disappointed Mazari explains.

Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2022